A dog owner has been left stunned after discovering a 10 foot long snake on Broughty Ferry beach.
James O’Donnell came across the serpent while walking his dog – Barney – on the beach on Monday morning.
He thought it was a toy at first but soon stepped back when he realised the rope-like object was in fact a large snake.
“I could see Barney getting excited about something he’d found so went over to have a look and couldn’t believe my eyes,” James told The Courier.
Dog walker made the grim discovery
“It took me a few seconds to fully realise what it was but then I could see it was clearly a snake and a huge one at that.
“I instantly jumped back pulling my dog with me as I didn’t know if it was alive or not.
“Then I went back for a closer look and could see the distinctive markings and the shape of the snake’s head.
“Given its size and marking it looks like a python that has clearly been dead for a while.”
James made the grim discovery shortly before 10.30am and was the only person on the beach at the time.
He added: “It’s certainly not the sort of thing I was expecting to find while waking my dog on the beach in Broughty Ferry.”
The beach is a popular spot for walkers and dog owners exercising their pets.
It’s unclear at this stage how the snake came to be on the beach or the cause of its death.
SSPCA informed about dead snake
Pythons are nonvenomous snakes which are native to hot climates of Africa, Asia and Australia.
The species – which can grow up to 23 feet in length – is also a popular pet.
It’s not known whether the reptile discovered on Broughty Ferry beach escaped or has been discarded by its owner.
A spokesman for Scottish SPCA confirmed that an initial search of the area by its officers had failed to locate the dead reptile.
Anyone who may come across the dead snake is urged to report the location via the organisation’s helpline.
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